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Satyrium bicallosum Thunb., Prodr. Pl. Cap.: 6 (1794).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Diplecthrum bicallosum (Thunb.) Pers., Syn. Pl. 2: 509 (1807).
Heterotypic Synonyms:
Satyrium bicallosum var. ocellatum Bolus, Trans. S. African Philos. Soc. 5: 129 (1888).
Satyrium bicallosum var. thunbergianum Bolus, Trans. S. African Philos. Soc. 5: 129 (1888).
Description:
Plants slender to stout, erect, (5-) 12-22 (-33) cm high. Leaves 1 -3 near the soil surface, ovate, up to 12-65 mm long, partly spreading, the lower often partly withered at the time of flowering. Lower sheaths similar to the leaves, the upper grading smoothly to the shape of the bracts. Inflorescence mostly elongate and many-flowered, 2-17 cm long with about 6-150 flowers. Perianth colour dull white, faintly greenish and with a pale purple patch above the entrance to each spur inside the labellum and leading down into the spur-mouth, the spurs outside yellowish green. Scent faint, like a pungent cheese. Bracts spreading then incurved, ovate to lanceolate, acuminate, 2-10 times the length of the 3-6 mm long ovary. Sepals ovate, the lateral 2-4 mm long and partly spreading, the odd sepal 1/2 to 2/3 as long. Petals slightly shorter than the odd sepal, deltoid, obtuse. Labellum very broadly ovate, forming a widely bilobed hood, the apex curved over the front of the column, almost touching the odd sepal. Labellum spurs about 1 mm long. Column minute, filling about 1/5 of the width of the labellum hood, almost sessile, the base about 0,2 mm high. Stigma deeply bilobed, about 0,6 mm long, strongly curved over the rostellum. Rostellum broadly deltoid, obtuse, the minute globose anther glands borne on slight lateral projections at the base. Anther sacs extending forward between the rostellum and the petal-bases, the connective linear.
Habitat:
Its ecological range includes dry to damp sandy soils in mainly winter-rainfall areas. It usually occurs singly or in small groups after veld-fires.
Phenology:
Flowering is mostly in the early summer in October and November, with a few cases in August, September and December, at altitudes from near sea level to almost 1 000 m.
Note:
In the structure of the column this species differs from any other known to me. The anther, instead of hanging vertically under the rostellum with its glands pointing forward, as is the typical structure in the genus, appears as if pushed up against the apex of the column, so as to be nearly horizontal, with the glands turned to the back of the flower, and the stigma completely covered and hidden from view.
Distribution:
SW. Cape Prov.
References:
A revision of the southern African species of Satyrium. [A V Hall; Edmund A C L E Schelpe; Nicola C Anthony] 1982; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999; The Cape Orchids Vol 2 Liltved & Johnson 2012
Images:
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Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph© Cameron McMaster. Image used with kind permission.